Questlove
Background information
Birth name	Ahmir Khalib Thompson
Born	January 20, 1971 (1971-01-20) (age 36)
Origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genre(s)	Alternative, Hip hop, Neo-soul
Occupation(s)	Drummer, DJ, Journalist & Record Producer
Instrument(s)	Drums
Years active	1987-Present
Label(s)	Okayplayer
Associated acts	The Roots
Website	http://www.myspace.com/questlove

Ahmir Khalib Thompson (born on January 20, 1971), known professionally as ?uestlove or Questlove, is an American drummer, DJ, music journalist and record producer. He is best known as the drummer for hip hop band The Roots and has produced for artists such as Common, D'Angelo, and more recently, Al Green. He is a member of the production teams the Soulquarians, the Grand Negaz, and The Grand Wizzards. He is also known for having a large afro which is usually accentuated with an afro pick sticking out. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Alternative hip hop (also known as alternative rap) is a genre that is defined in greatly varying ways. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... Neo soul (also known as nu soul) is a musical genre of the late 1990s and early 2000s that fuses contemporary R&B, 1970s style soul, classical music, jazz, and elements of alternative-hip hop. ... For the comic book character, see Drummer (comics). ... DJ or dj may stand for Disc jockey, dinner jacket The DeadJournal website, or Djibouti. ... For other uses, see Journalist (disambiguation). ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Okayplayer. ... The Roots, also variously known as The Legendary Roots Crew, The Fifth Dynasty, The Square Roots and The Foundation, are an influential, Grammy-winning hip-hop band based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, famed for a heavily jazzy sound and live instrumentation. ... January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... For the comic book character, see Drummer (comics). ... DJ or dj may stand for Disc jockey, dinner jacket The DeadJournal website, or Djibouti. ... Music journalism is a specialized branch of entertainment journalism--especially criticism and reportage about music, usually rock, but also hip hop, classical, and electronica, among other forms. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... The Roots, also variously known as The Legendary Roots Crew, The Fifth Dynasty, The Square Roots and The Foundation, are an influential, Grammy-winning hip-hop band based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, famed for a heavily jazzy sound and live instrumentation. ... Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. ... DAngelo (born Michaela Eugene Archer on February 11, 1974 in Richmond, Virginia) is a Grammy Award winning American soul singer, pianist, guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. ... This article is about the singer. ... Soulquarians (common misspelling: Soul Aquarians) was a neo soul-informed hip hop musical collective with members from Philadelphia, Detroit, Richmond and Chicago. ... The Grand Wizzards are a production team for The Roots, an evolution of the pre-existing Grand Negaz. ... Woman with an afro at the Tribeca Film Festival For the Italian painter known as Afro, see Afro Basaldella. ...

Biography

Early years

Thompson was born in Philadelphia on January 20, 1971. His father was Lee Andrews of Lee Andrews & the Hearts, one of the great 50s doo-wop groups. His parents did not want to leave him with babysitters, so they took him on tour with them. He grew up in backstages of doo-wop shows, and began drumming at the age of two. By the age of seven, Thompson began drumming on stage at shows, and by 13, had become a musical director. For other uses, see Philadelphia (disambiguation) and Philly. ... 0ne of the finest R&B vocal groups of the50s, Lee Andrews and the Hearts would have been one of the best pop groups too if white radio had been more open to black vocalists in those days. ... Doo-wop is a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music popular in the mid-1950s to the early 1960s in America. ...

?uestlove's parents then enrolled him at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. By the time he graduated, he had founded a band called The Square Roots (later dropping the word "square") with his friend Tariq Trotter (Black Thought). ?uestlove's classmates at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts included Boyz II Men, jazz bassist Christian McBride, and jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco. Image of artist Black Thought (born Tariq Trotter) is the lead MC of the Philadelphia-based hip hop group The Roots. ... Boyz II Men is an American R&B/soul singing group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... Christian McBride (born May 31, 1972, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a jazz bassist. ... Joey DeFrancesco (b. ...

?uestlove began performing on South Street (akin to Greenwich Village and Haight Ashbury) in Philadelphia using drums, while Tariq rhymed over his beats and rhythms. South Street during the daytime, looking west. ... The Washington Square Arch Greenwich Village (IPA pronunciation: ), also called simply the Village, is a largely residential area on the west side of downtown (southern) Manhattan in New York City named after Greenwich, London. ... The corner of Haight and Ashbury in 2001 The Haight-Ashbury is a district of San Francisco, California, named after the intersection of Haight Street and Ashbury Street, commonly known as The Haight or, in recent years, The Upper Haight. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ...

Professional music career

The Roots' roster was soon completed, with ?uestlove on percussion, Tariq Trotter and Malik B on vocals, Josh Abrams (Rubber Band) on bass (who was replaced by Leonard Hubbard in 1994), and Scott Storch on keyboards. While the group was performing a show in Germany, they recorded an album entitled Organix, released by Relativity Records in 1993. Scott Spencer Storch (born December 16, 1973) is a Canadian-American[1] entertainer, hip hop, pop, R&B, Reggaeton record producer and an occasional rapper. ... Organix is the debut album by The Roots. ...

The group continued recording, releasing two critically acclaimed records in 1995 and 1996, Do You Want More?!!!??! and Illadelph Halflife, respectively. In 1999, The Roots entered mainstream pop consciousness with "You Got Me" (featuring Erykah Badu); a song which would earn the band the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for 2000. ?uestlove shines in the final minute of this song as he unleashes a massive drum n' bass groove over the last chorus. The song helped fuel the success of their Things Fall Apart album which has since been hailed as a classic, eventually selling platinum. The group went the experimental route and returned in 2002 with the rock-influenced Phrenology, which went gold. Two years later, The Roots released The Tipping Point, which contained a more mainstream sound, due to demands from Geffen records. The album sold modestly (400,000 copies), and ?uestlove shines in the bonus track remake of George Kranz's "Din Da Da." Do You Want More?!!!??! is the sophomore album from Hip Hop band The Roots. ... Illadelph Halflife, released in 1996, is the third full length album from The Roots. ... Erykah Badu (born Erica Abi Wright, February 26, 1971, in Dallas, Texas) is an American neo-soul, R&B/hip hop artist whose work crosses over into jazz. ... The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group has been awarded since 1991, alongside the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Things Fall Apart released in 1999 is a hip hop album by the Philadelphia based group The Roots. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Phrenology (Released November 26, 2002) is the sixth album from The Roots. ... The Tipping Point (released July 13, 2004) is the seventh album from The Roots. ... George Kranz is a German dance music singer and percussionist. ...

Besides being the drummer for The Roots, ?uestlove has also lent his talents to other artists, projects, and productions.

He was the drummer for The Philadelphia Experiment, a collaborative instrumental jazz album featuring Christian McBride and Uri Caine, released on Rope-a-Dope Records in 2001 and the DJ of the compilation ?uestlove Presents: Babies Making Babies, released on Urban Theory Records in 2002. He also served as executive producer for D'Angelo's 2000 album Voodoo, Slum Village's album Fantastic, Vol. 2 and Common's albums Like Water for Chocolate and Electric Circus. Besides the aforementioned albums, he has also contributed as a drummer or producer to Erykah Badu's Baduizm and Mama's Gun, Dilated Peoples Expansion Team, Blackalicious's Blazing Arrow, Bilal's 1st Born Second, N*E*R*D's Fly Or Die, Joshua Redman's Momentum, and Zap Mama's Ancestry In Progress, Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine, and Zack De La Rocha's currently unreleased solo material. The Philadelphia Experiment is the self-titled album resulting from a collaborative project including Uri Caine (keyboards), Ahmir ?uestlove Thompson (drums) and Christian McBride (bass). ... Christian McBride (born May 31, 1972, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a jazz bassist. ... Uri Caine is a classical and jazz pianist born in Philadelphia on June 8, 1956. ... Ropeadope was founded as a record label in 1999 by Andrew Blackman Hurwitz. ... DJ or dj may stand for Disc jockey, dinner jacket The DeadJournal website, or Djibouti. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... DAngelo (born Michaela Eugene Archer on February 11, 1974 in Richmond, Virginia) is a Grammy Award winning American soul singer, pianist, guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Voodoo is a neo soul album by DAngelo, released on January 11, 2000 (see 2000 in music). ... Slum Village circa 2000 Slum Village is the name of a hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. ... Fantastic, Vol. ... Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. ... Like Water for Chocolate is an album by rapper Common, released in March 2000. ... This article is about a music album. ... Erykah Badu (born Erica Abi Wright, February 26, 1971, in Dallas, Texas) is an American neo-soul, R&B/hip hop artist whose work crosses over into jazz. ... Baduizm is the debut album by American nu soul singer Erykah Badu, released in 1997 (see 1997 in music). ... Mamas Gun is the third album by American nu soul singer Erykah Badu, released in 2000 (see 2000 in music). ... Dilated Peoples is an underground hip hop group residing in California. ... An expansion team is a term used for a brand new team in a sports league. ... Blackalicious is an American alternative hip hop duo. ... Blazing Arrow is the second full-length album by Blackalicious, the follow-up to 2000s Nia. ... Bilal (born Bilal Sayeed Oliver on August 23, 1979, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA) is a neo soul musician and member of the musical collective known as Soulquarians. ... 1st Born Second is a 2001 album by singer Bilal. ... N*E*R*D (pronounced en ee are dee, but also often referred to as simply nerd) is the name of a rock band consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo of The Neptunes and their friend Shay Haley. ... N*E*R*D (pronounced en ee are dee, but also often referred to as simply nerd) is the name of a rock band consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo of The Neptunes and their friend Shay Haley. ... Joshua Redman (born February 1, 1969) is a prominent American Neo-bop jazz saxophonist who records for Nonesuch Records. ... This article is about momentum in physics. ... Zap Mama is a Belgian musical group founded by Marie Daulne. ... Fiona Apple McAfee Maggart (born September 13, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. ... Extraordinary Machine is the third album by American singer-songwriter Fiona Apple, released by Epic Records in the United States on October 4, 2005 (see 2005 in music). ... Zacarías Manuel Zack de la Rocha (born January 12, 1970 in Long Beach, California) is a heavy metal vocalist, rapper, musician, poet, and activist, and is best known as the lead singer and lyricist of Rage Against the Machine. ...

Played drums on Christina Aguilera's song "Loving Me 4 Me" for her 2002 album "Stripped". His drum skills were also featured in Joss Stone's cover of the White Stripes' Fell in Love with a Boy. Christina María Aguilera (born December 18, 1980) is an American pop singer and songwriter. ... Joss Stone (born Joscelyn Eve Stoker on 11 April 1987) is a British soul, R&B, and blues singer, songwriter, and occasional actress who emerged to fame in late 2003 with her debut album, The Soul Sessions, which was certified triple platinum by the BPI, and was announced as one... The White Stripes are a minimalist rock and roll duo from Detroit, formed in 1997. ...

In 2004, ?uestlove appeared in Jay-Z's Fade to Black documentary. In addition to appearing in the documentary portion of the film, ?uestlove also was drummer for the entire show. The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. ... Jay-Z (aka the Jigga, HOV and Hova, born Shawn Carter on December 4, 1970 in Brooklyn, New York) is an African American rapper/hip hop artist and record label executive; one of the most popular and successful rappers of the late 1990s and early 2000s. ... Fade to Black is a 2004 documentary about the career of US rapper Jay-Z. Filmed around the time of the Black Album, the movie also featues many of rap musics other famous names. ...

In 2005, ?uestlove appeared, along with such luminaries as Madonna, Iggy Pop, Bootsy Collins, and Little Richard, in a television commercial for the Motorola ROKR phone. The year 2005 in television involved some significant events. ... This article is about the American entertainer. ... James Newell Osterberg, Jr. ... William Bootsy Collins (born October 26, 1951 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is a pioneering funk bassist, singer, and songwriter. ... Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5, 1932), better known by the stage name Little Richard, is an African-American singer, songwriter, and pianist, who began performing in the 1940s and was a key figure in the transition from rhythm & blues to rock and roll in the mid-1950s. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Motorola ROKR E1 The Motorola ROKR E1 is the first mobile phone to be integrated with Apple Computers iTunes music player. ...

In 2006, ?uestlove appeared as himself in the film Dave Chappelle's Block Party, as well as a couple of skits on The Dave Chappelle Show (incl. the Tupac skit on The Dave Chappelle Show: The Lost Episodes, and a skit also featuring John Mayer, where ?uestlove performs in a barber shop, inducing the occupants to dance and rap.) With the exception of The Fugees, ?uestlove served as the drummer for nearly every performer at the 2004 Brooklyn street concert. // Please note that following the tradition of the English language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the United States and Canada in 2006; because they may have made most of their income in a later year, they may not be the top-grossing... Dave Chappelles Block Party (aka Block Party) is a documentary film hosted and written by comedian Dave Chappelle, and directed by Michel Gondry. ... Tupac may refer to the following: Tupac Shakur, an American rapper, actor, poet, and social activist Tupac Inca Yupanqui, the tenth Sapanoso Inca of the Incan Empire Túpac Amaru, the last indigenous leader of the Inca people in Peru Túpac Amaru II, a descendant of the Inca chief... The Fugees are a critically acclaimed music band from the United States, popular during the mid-1990s, whose repertoire includes primarily hip hop, with elements of soul, and Caribbean music (particularly reggae). ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ...

?uestlove was given an Esky for Best Scribe in Esquire magazine's 2006 Esky Music Awards in the April issue. August 2005 issue of Esquire Esquire is a mens magazine by the Hearst Corporation. ...

?uestlove was one of a handful of musicians hand-picked by Little Steve Van Zandt to back Hank Williams Jr. on a new version of "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight" for the season premiere (and formal ESPN debut) of Monday Night Football. Along with his fellow Motorola ROKR commercial co-stars Bootsy Collins and Little Richard, ?uestlove's bandmates included Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick), Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Charlie Daniels, and Bernie Worrell. Steven Van Zandt (born November 22, 1950) is an American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey, who frequently goes by the stage names Little Steven or Miami Steve. ... Hank Williams, Jr. ... ESPN/ESPN-DT, formerly an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an [[United States|Amer<nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here--68. ... Monday Night Football (MNF) is a live television broadcast of the National Football League. ... Richard Nielsen (born December 22, 1946 in Rockford, Illinois) is the lead guitarist and primary songwriter of the rock band Cheap Trick. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Anthony Joseph Joe Perry (Born September 10, 1950 in Lawrence, Massachusetts), is the lead guitarist and a contributing songwriter for the rock band Aerosmith. ... This article is about the band Aerosmith. ... Charles Edward Charlie Daniels (born October 28, 1936 in Wilmington, North Carolina) is an American musician famous for his contributions to country and southern rock music. ... Bernie Worrell Bernie Worrell (born April 19, 1944) is originally from Long Beach, New Jersey but grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey. ...

In 2007, ?uestlove co-produced with Vh1's "The Score" winning producer Antonio "DJ Satisfaction" Gonzalez the theme to VH1's Hip Hop Honors 2007

Equipment

?uestlove changes his drumset often, but this is what he is known to use (or have used):

Yamaha drums:
Absolute Maple Nouveau
24 x 18 Bass Drum
22 x 18 Bass Drum
14 x 14 Floor Tom
14 x 3.5 Snare Drum
14 x 5.5 Snare Drum
Yamaha may refer to: Yamaha Corporation – A manufacturer of a diverse range of musical instruments and electronics. ... A bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. ... The snare drum or side drum is a tubular drum made of wood or metal with skins, or heads, stretched over the top and bottom openings, and with a set of snares (cords) stretched across the bottom head. ...

Zildjian cymbals:
14" A Zildjian New Beat Hihats
20" Oriental Crash of Doom
24" K Constantinople Light Ride
Zildjian is a surname of Armenian origin and means cymbalsmith. It is notable for being the name of two cymbal manufacturers: Avedis Zildjian Company K. Zildjian This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... The hi-hat stand has changed little since its invention. ...

Vic Firth sticks:
7a American Classic® Drumsticks
Vic Firth is one of the worlds oldest drum stick manufacturing companies. ... A drum stick is an item used to hit percussion instruments to produce sound. ...

DJing
Serato Scratch Live For other meanings of DJ, see DJ (disambiguation). ...

External links

• ?uestlove discography
• ?questlove at IMDB
• ?uestlove at MySpace
• ?uestlove at YouTube
• ?uestlove's music collection on display at MOG.com
• ?uestlove at Last.fm

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) [1] is an online database of information about actors, movies, television shows, television stars and video games. ... MySpace is a social networking website offering an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music, and videos. ... YouTube is a popular video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips. ... Last. ...

Video links

• ?uestlove RBMA video lecture session Pt.1
• ?uestlove RBMA video lecture session Pt.2
• ?uestlove RBMA video lecture session Pt.3